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Monday, November 4, 2013

Diving Into The Deep

Day 3 of 29 Days of Spiritual Messages.

Today's spiritual reading comes from the non-fictional novel Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. It is the true adventure of two men who risked everything, even their lives, to solve one of the last mysteries of World War II.

Their deep-wreck diving became an addiction as they braved treacherous currents and depths that induced hallucinatory narcosis. They pushed themselves to their limits and beyond as they explored the wreckage of a German U-Boat, 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey, 230 feet below the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Let's dive in.

This excerpt is from chapter 2, page 22:

"Deep-shipwreck diving is among the world's most dangerous sports. Few other endeavors exist in which nature, biology, equipment, instinct and object conspire—without warning and from all directions—to so completely attack a man's mind and disassemble his spirit."

Courtesy Google Images

On the surface, yes, this is about the dangers of deep-shipwreck diving, but upon closer inspection, what seems to be a warning is really a lesson about diving into life, in particular, into those areas of life that have brought the most pain to us.

This is about diving deep into our own personal wreckage so that we may "right" the "wrongs" and move forward from pain to freedom.

Any analysis of the self can be a bit uncomfortable. No one likes to be poked and prodded as if some kind of specimen under bright, blinding lights. But without self-examination, life stagnates. Even Socrates tells us that the unexamined life not worth living. If life is not progressing in the way we had planned, or if it is not advancing at all, we have to stop and examine what is holding us back from our potential.

Most of the time, if not all, that what is us.

Once we are aware of this fact, we can either make the choice to move forward or to remain inert.

Exploring our depths can be quite frightening. It is unknown territory, and it means facing fears. If we are holding ourselves back, we need to go to the "wreck" site and shine some light on it. This means taking responsibility for what has happened in our lives. And that can be scary.

Are there dangers? There can be if we are not properly prepared. It's important to understand the risks involved so that we can navigate safely and effectively through any twisted metal and tangled wires within ourselves.

Courtesy Google Images

The real danger is not knowing what to do. That's why it's important to establish some kind of lifeline to grab onto to find our way back. This means getting the help we need, either professionally or informally, to plumb the depths. Should the sediment start kicking up, obscuring our vision, we have that guidance system in place.

When things come "without warning and from all directions," and when we are not prepared in some fashion to face it because of fear, denial, or low information, these circumstances "so completely attack [our] mind and disassemble [our] spirit," rendering us victims. Once we've lived, loved, and lost, it's easy to fall into this sort of thinking. But that's exactly the kind of thinking that will hold us down and keep us tied to the wreckage within.

Unexpected things will happen in life that may cause pain and hurt; we can't predict what will happen. Not everything is in our control, but when we remember that we are in control of ourselves, then we can choose how to approach these things when they do happen.

In the diving world, a wreck is not simply a wreck resting at the bottom of the ocean; it's a goldmine. A wreck gets explored for its secrets and hidden treasures, not its wreckage.

We are to see beyond the bones of wreckage in our lives and learn how to use that wreckage to transform us.

When we dive into the shadows and explore our personal wreckage, we will find many parts of it salvageable. We can refashion these parts and find much value in them. We can choose to believe that everything happens for a purpose and a reason, in time and in season.

12 comments:

The terms diving down or taking the leap of faith.....are to me the same....with a twist.....with the diving down into your own personal issues you have to face them when they appear...with the leap of faith comes later when you know you have to apply your new found knowledge n then jump right into it....I've done both...it scares ya to the bone but when I was after diving down to my issues it was a lil bit to take that leap of faith...I love both of them. And it made me a better person then I was....it was allowing me to grow some angel wings and fly...what a great feeling it is n was....I'm thrilled on my spiritual journey ...thank you my friend....

Self-awareness/self exploration also builds confidence. The more we know about ourselves, the greater we will feel emotionally and the more adept we will become at dealing with situations. We then become more intuitive about what works for us and what doesn’t work for us. In other words, we learn to trust our inner compass.

Penny, this is really fabulous. Once upon a time I described my life as a ship wreck and there I was without a compass. I was so open to finding my way after picking up the pieces of life after divorce and then breast cancer was the deep deep dive that gave me a crash course test in life (no lessons up front...just a test!) Hard to believe it was over 10 years ago. No one would recognize the life I lived before and the life I live now.

Wow, what a course your life has taken, and it sounds like the "thing" that saved you was your desire and your being open to finding your way. I am so grateful that everything has worked out and that life is even sweeter and better for you. Amen to that! And now you are a shining light for others who are trying to find their way.

You said "A wreck gets explored for its secrets and hidden treasures", it also gets explored for its beauty.

I am always saying "nothing has a meaning until you give it one, so give it the best meaning possible."

As a scuba diver, I have gone into the depths of old coal mines that had filled with water, to investigate the wreckage below and I found it "beautiful".

Once, we came upon what appeared to be an entire little "work village", left just as it was, undisturbed but under 200 feet of water. There was an old truck, tools, benches, sheds, coal buckets on rails, etc. It was beautiful, to us.

Having done a lot of internal work on myself and uncovering the "wreckage" buried in myself, I also came to the point of seeing the "beauty" of that, too.

Words really cannot describe it.

They say, "time heals all wounds".

I believe the reason for that is because with time, people gain a different perspective....but you don't have to wait any length of time. You can choose to change your perspective right now and thus give everything a better meaning.

Ok, I will stop know.

It is just a testament to your great post that you stir up so many thoughts in me.

Diving into underwater coal mines must have been quite the experience! I'm sure I would have been very moved by it.

Time really does heal all wounds, some sooner than later, as long as they heal. Choosing a new perspective is what helps, as you have mentioned. I know from my own internal wreckage that I was able to use it to help others who went through similar experiences, and so it became a wonderful teaching tool and example to help others heal, especially when they thought that they were all alone. Wow...it's amazing how transformation happens...

Thank you so much for your input and insights. I so appreciate you, Kathy!Blessings.xoxoPenny

I love the deep dive analogy! And so important to have a lifeline. In the past I've been on many deep workshops and courses, where people are left to flounder in amongst their flotsam. Not pleasant. I count myself very fortunate that I know EFT and other healing and spiritual practices, including meditation, that can be used very effectively as healing tools. When we first start deep diving within it can be quite a scary and overwhelming place, but now, I love it when something is stirred up from the deep for welcoming back into the light. The universe is such a wonderful place when we can take a step back from getting too personal with it all and watch everything unfold. Great post!

Get To Know Me

Penny McDaniel is a spiritual teacher, educator, theologian, and author/writer even though she finds titles limiting. She believes life is filled with what she calls "spiritunities", spiritual opportunities that call us to growth, creativity, and self-expression.